


Frozen Solid

by AnxiousClarinetCat



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Touch-Starved, Uchiha Sasuke Has Feelings, Uchiha Sasuke Needs a Hug, Uzumaki Naruto is a Good Friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24104563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxiousClarinetCat/pseuds/AnxiousClarinetCat
Summary: Sasuke has a rough night while Team Seven is traveling. His friends try to help him out. Things are said.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 1
Kudos: 81





	Frozen Solid

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where in the timeline this is, somewhere is Shippuden, I guess. I just wanted Team Seven bonding, sue me. This isn't too accurate, but I did my best with the characters. Feel free to tell me what you think! Hope you enjoy!

Sasuke is used to the cold.

Not the kind that comes from wind, or rain, or snow.

The kind that sunk into your bones, chilled your heart, frosted your soul. It wasn't a bite, it was an ache.

People consider this unhealthy, but Sasuke never cared much about what others thought anyway. He knew the truth.

He can barely remember the few times he had what he craved so often now. The memories aren't important, anyways. Lies. All lies.

~•~•~•~•~

 _He flies awake with a scream, just escaping the beast._ _Though the threat was gone, Sasuke can still see the jagged teeth every time he closes his eyes._

_He slips quietly from his bed, and patters down the hall to the farthest door on the right._

_The door opens with a painful creak._

_"Itachi?"_

_The person in the bed sighs, but doesn't awaken._

_"Itachi?" Sasuke's lip is quivering now. He grabs a handful of fabric and shakes his brother as hard as he can._

_"Wake up! Please wake up!"_

_The older Uchiha groans, and rolls over. "Hm? What?"_

_Sasuke all but leaps into his arms. "I'm scared."_

_Itachi sighs, but Sasuke can hear the warmth in his voice. "What's wrong?"_

_The younger boy burrows into a pillow before murmuring, "Bad dream. Wanna stay here."_

_Itachi eases back down, and curls so that Sasuke is enveloped in safety._

_"Is that good?"_

_Sasuke sighs contentedly. "Mhm. Night, Itachi."_

_He slept soundly through the night._

_~•~•~•~•~_

He knows better now. Who knows how long his brother was plotting? Chances are, every good memory he had was a lie.

Uchihas learn quickly, and Sasuke was no exception.

Ice preserves. Fire does nothing but singe.

However, Sasuke knows full well that he is weak. More often than not, the ache becomes almost too much to bear, and he begins wishing for things he shouldn't want.

A comforting presence at his side. A hand running through his hair. Soft words spoken under the cover of darkness.

Tonight is one of those nights. 

The rest of Team Seven is fast asleep around him. Naruto is snoring like a thunderstorm, limbs askew. Sakura is curled up into a fragile ball. Kakashi is flat on his face. It's an oddly vulnerable position for a jounin to sleep in, but Sasuke is sure the hand shoved under his pillow is clutching a weapon.

He looks up at the sky. No moon. No stars. Just him and his thoughts.

Sasuke slumps so that his chin rests on his knees. If he can't sleep, he could at least keep watch.

~•~•~•~•~

_Sasuke is standing on a cliff. The wind is terrifically strong, but he holds his ground with no effort. When he looks down, the entire world stretches below him, tiny and peaceful._

_The thud of footsteps causes him to turn around._

_Even as his breath catches, he knows he shouldn't be surprised._

_"Ready to settle the score, weakling?" his brother taunts from behind._

_Sasuke lifts his chin defiantly. Words spill from him like lines off a script, not his own._

_"You can try, but you'll fail. I'm invincible. You can never kill me."_

_Itachi's face twists into a mocking sneer. "But you see, I don't need to kill you. In fact, I prefer this to your death!"_

_He surges forwards, and before Sasuke can dodge, a knife is embedded in his stomach._

_It hurts. Why does it hurt? He cannot die!_

_His knee gives, and he falls to the ground._

_"I won't lose so easily", he chokes out. Itachi roars with laughter. "That's just it. You can take damage, but you cannot 'lose'."_

_His brother reaches out and grabs the knife before yanking it out. The pain makes his vision blur._

_It intensifies more as the blade is smashed back in, an inch to the side of the first wound. Sasuke cannot fight the cry that escapes him._

_Itachi drags the knife between the wounds, and then twists it, hard. Sasuke wails again. It's excruciating._

_Itachi's voice drifts to him though a red haze. "You cannot die. So I can mutilate you until there is nothing left!"_

_A blaze of pain tears through his arm. Another hits his thigh. A bolt strikes his forehead. Everything fades except for the pain. It increases by multitudes every second. Sasuke writhes. He cannot take it anymore. Sobs pour out of him, and the world below is washed in blood._

_~•~•~•~•~_

Sasuke gasps as reality crashes over him. He claps a hand to his side. No blood. None on his legs, or arms either.

He sags in relief. He is unharmed, and everyone else is still out cold.

"Sasuke?"

He jumps a mile, searching for a weapon.

"Hey! Put down the knife, idiot! It's just me."

Naruto is gazing at him sleepily. "You okay?"

Sasuke clutches his knife to his chest. "Hn." Of course he was okay. What other option is there?

The other boy rolls languidly to his knees. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you sure?" 

Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm _fine."_ He looks away. 

Naruto moves carefully towards him anyway. Sasuke lets him sit down to his left.

"You were yelling in your sleep, you know", he says. "I was kinda worried."

Sasuke huffs. "Don't be."

Naruto gives him his signature beam. "I'll always look out for you, you know that! Me, and Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei too!"

Sasuke doesn't reply. He doesn't deserve all this. Endless dedication that he can never pay back.

"Stop."

"Huh?" Naruto tilts his head.

 _"Stop._ Stop caring. I don't deserve it, and I don't need it. There's no point in wasting your time, or mine."

The boy beside him huffs. "Everyone needs someone to care about them!"

Sasuke digs his hands into the ground below. "I'm not arguing with you. Go away."

For a long moment, he thinks Naruto's going to keep pushing it, but his rival climbs to his feet instead. "Whatever. Goodnight." Sasuke hears him wander back to his blankets, and lay down with a thud.

Alone again, Sasuke tries to hold his eyes open. He can't afford to appear weak like that. If that meant no sleep, then so be it.

He tries to think, but every pattern leads him back to his muscles giving in relaxation.

He grabs his knife and etches lines into the ground to keep his eyes from growing heavy.

Soon enough, even this makes him yawn. It grows harder and harder to keep his focus on something, anything.

Eventually, he puts the knife aside and busies himself with watching the stars. A warm breeze ruffles his hair, and the simple sensation pulls him into drowsiness. 

He rakes his fingers down his thigh. _Stay awake._ Comfort is for those who need it. He needs nothing. 

He blinks hard, once, twice. It's not worth it to embarrass himself again.

But he's _exhausted._

Despite his best efforts, his mind drifts into unconsciousness.

~•~•~•~

_No! No!_

Things bleed into the dream until he's back on earth again. Sasuke curses himself. Scared like a common rat, and he doesn't even know what of.

He becomes aware of his thrashing limbs. There's something running down his face. Worst of all, he can't breathe. He's so crippled that he can't even _breathe._

As his cries reduce to shaky breaths, he realizes that he's laying flat on his back. Something heavy and warm is pinning him. 

His vision focuses. Orange comes into view.

Naruto has one hand on Sasuke's chest, the other gripping his left wrist. Sasuke turns his head to find Sakura gently holding his right.

"I think he's awake!"

"Really? You're sure?"

"Yeah! His eyes are open, see? Of course he's awake!"

"You said that earlier, right before he punched you."

Sasuke groans. "What are you doing?"

Both of his captors cheer. "Sasuke!"

He yanks his arm free from Sakura and attempts to push Naruto off, but his arm gives. He ends up flopping pitifully back to the ground.

Naruto lets him go slowly. "You really had us scared! Don't do that!"

Sasuke looks away, hoping that the dark keeps them from seeing his flush of embarrassment. "If I had a choice, do you think I would?"

Sakura grabs his shoulder. "I was so worried! Are you okay, Sasuke?"

His mind stops dead.

The weight on his shoulder is burning. It's terrible, and it's blissful, and he wants it to go on forever, and he needs it to _stop._

Sasuke tears away. "Don't touch me!"

Sakura stares at him with watery eyes. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you? I-I'm sorry!"

Naruto is much less sympathetic. "Why are you freaking out so much, Sasuke? If you're gonna scream like you're being killed in the middle of the night, you can't expect us to forget about it!"

Sasuke bites back everything trying to pour out of his head.

"When we ignore you, you act all dark and brooding, like no one cares, but when we actually try and help, you attack us! We're not demons, Sasuke! We're friends!"

_"No, you're not!"_

Naruto pulls away, and Sasuke faintly hears Sakura sob.

"I have no allies. Anyone who ever tries to get close to me wants something, and you're no different. I don't understand what you need from me. Why do you try so hard for something you will never gain _?"_

Naruto jumps towards him. Sasuke throws out an arm to deflect him, but he's so clumsy with tiredness that he misses completely. 

He's knocked to the ground. It takes him a moment to take in the strangeness of the situation.

The blow didn't hurt, and Naruto isn't trying to land another hit. In fact, the other boy's entire body has more or less melted onto his. Secure arms wrap around him.

It burns.

Sasuke twists in his grip, but Naruto just grabs him tighter.

"You know why we never give up on you, Sasuke?" he whispers.

Sasuke throws himself again. He doesn't know. He hates not knowing. He needs to get out.

"Because."

Naruto pulls away slightly, and retracts an arm. Before Sasuke can take advantage of the opening, Naruto taps him on the forehead.

Sasuke freezes.

He can't stop the tremors that wrack his body. He can't stop the tears from pouring out. He certainly can't stop Sakura, who has leaped on top of them both, and is crying into his chest.

He's helpless. There's nothing he can do. He's entirely at the mercy of the two idiots that call him a friend.

And they...aren't hurting him. Both are clinging to him and Sakura's wails are cutting through his skull, but they aren't using the situation at all.

He's safe. _They're safe._

It feels good.

He feels them both stop when his arms attempt to encircle them both. He grabs on as tight as he can manage.

_Don't let me go. Don't let me go._

Naruto reacts first. Sasuke can feel his relieved chuckle, and he buries his face in Sasuke's neck. Sakura clutches him impossibly tighter.

They lay like that for a stupidly long time, the silence only broken by Naruto's intermittent hums.

Finally, Sasuke shoves on their dead weight. "Okay, if you stay here any longer, I'm going to fall asleep. Move."

Naruto shrugs. "Then sleep", he mumbles. "I'm not going anywhere.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, and nudges Sakura with his knee. "Hey."

She burrows further into his side. She's just barely snoring.

Sasuke sighs. These idiots.

Naruto looks at him sleepily. "You can shut your eyes, you know. Nothing can hurt you with us here!"

Sasuke doesn't respond, but he hears truth in his words.

He is weak. He is overly weak. But in the midst of all this affection, he can believe that he really is safe.

For the last time that night, Sasuke's eyes fall shut. 

**Author's Note:**

> No, Kakashi didn't notice. Did he ever wake up? No one knows.


End file.
